BEARS BITS

Rod Marinelli, the Bears' new assistant head coach, got his first look at draftees Jarron Gilbert and Henry Melton during Friday's first session of a three-day rookie mini-camp and came away impressed.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 288-pound Gilbert, the team's first draft pick, is expected to start his career at defensive tackle but is capable of playing end.

"You like to see some position flexibility," Marinelli said. "He's an 'under' tackle right now. He's got the movement, the power and the hands to be a left end. He can do some of that. But you don't want to give him too much."

The Bears hope Melton (6-3, 260) can develop into the same type of disruptive force Mark Anderson was as a rookie.

"These guys are very talented athletes," Marinelli said. "When I talk about talent, I mean short-space quickness. Then I look at them being tall and being able to bend. A guy like [Gilbert], if you can jump out of a pool, you're in pretty good shape to bend.

"If you can bend and your feet are quick, that means you can play with a good base. They run extremely well. They're coordinated. Now I have to coordinate them into a rush mode."

First impressions: Wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias, a third-rounder from Oklahoma, displayed soft hands and excellent route-running skills. He even had the savvy to ask reporters how his feet looked after a catch.

Receivers coach Darryl Drake was impressed.

"He's got a chance," Drake said. "Really good hands, just like we thought. We'll see where that takes him."

Drake wasn't bothered by Iglesias slipping out of his breaks a few times.

"It's been raining for 40 days and 40 nights around this place," Drake said. "That's good for him. He needs to learn how to deal with that."

On the move: When the Bears drafted Lance Louis in the seventh round, the San Diego State product was announced as a tight end. Louis is 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, and he lined up at left tackle and right guard during Friday's session.

"We don't know for sure," Bears coach Lovie Smith said of Louis' position. "We brought him here as a lineman. Him working with us will tell us where we need to put him."

Extra points: Johnny Knox and Derek Kinder, the other two drafted receivers, looked solid, although Knox screamed at himself after dropping a pass. ... Of the 25 players in for a tryout, ex-Missouri quarterback Chase Patton and former Virginia receiver Maurice Covington stood out. Covington's size (6-4, 215) should earn him a closer look. ... Smith on ex-Northwestern players C.J. Bacher and Eric Peterman: "I've had a chance to see them, being local guys. C.J. is good friends with one of my sons. They're good players. Just let them do their thing this weekend."